Lenten Recovery*

I think that Lent, which starts tomorrow, and recovery programs match up quite well.  Each has a sense  of regret for past sins, faults, behaviors and failures to be better persons.  But it cannot be simply a regret for the past, or a confessing of past bad behavior or faulty thinking.  Lent and recovery programs are also about a complete reorientation of one’s own life.  We want to turn over a new leaf.  But wanting is not enough.  We need a plan of action.  Let’s put recovery into the forty days of Lent for the moment.  What do we intend to do and how are we going to do it over the next forty days?  Lenten people should ask their God what is the Divine will for them or else their plan for Lent might simply be an ego trip or a desire to get someone to like them better or hate them less.  The recovery person needs to check with their sponsor and higher power before committing to some action.  Otherwise their will alone is self-will run riot.  The how of whatever we decide to do requires some grace or energy that we do not have alone.  So each of these forty days needs a prayer of asking for help to do what we say we are going to do.  No plan?  No energy? No change.